Chapter Four

Welcome Home

Tiffany couldn’t almost believe it when she was welcomed with warm hugs by her father’s family. Her Aunt Sunghyo was the first to run into her to give her a tight hug, then her youngest cousin Yoona followed next.

And the welcoming gesture she anticipated the most… Hwang Changjun slowly walked to where Tiffany stands. The old Hwang opened his one good arm towards her, who seems to freeze on her spot.

“Welcome home my grandchild!”

Tiffany was left speechless when she heard the words that left her grandfathers mouth.

“How have you been my grandchild? Why didn’t you bring along your younger sister?”

“She still has school, but she said she plans to visit on her spring break which is by next month.”

Tiffany saw her grandfather’s eyes twinkle with an unmistakable happiness when she told him about her sister’s plan.

Tiffany was so amazed with the huge resemblance of the old man in front of her with her own father. She couldn’t deny the fact that they are father and son, they were so alike yet so unlike each other.

Hwang Changjun’s face was hard and aristocratic that even that twinkle of happiness in his eyes earlier wasn’t enough to make his facial features soften. Tiffany is still not finish studying the old man’s face when he suddenly spoke.

“Sunghyo, prepare something to drink for your niece.”

Her Aunt automatically obeyed the words of his father and went to the kitchen while her cousin Yoona excuse herself too as she said to check on their dinner and left her alone in the company of the old man.

Hwang Changjun gestured Tiffany to follow him and that she did, she silently followed him to the inside if the traditional yet grand Korean house. The whole place screams of tradition, power and wealth.

Tiffany’s eyes were captured by the portrait that’s hanging in the middle of middle of the spacious living room.

“You resemble My Minyoung a lot, my grandchild.”

Tiffany’s attention diverted back to her grandfather who’s staring at her intensely.

Tiffany didn’t know what to say to her grandfather so she just silently looked back at the portrait again.

‘Greetings to you Hwang Minyoung it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you in my Daddy’s stories. Too bad my sister and I never had the chance to meet you.’

Tiffany too, couldn’t deny the huge resemblance she has with her late grandmother. She thought that her father was only exaggerating whenever he told her that.

If the woman in the portrait isn’t wearing a traditional Korean wedding dress, she would definitely think it was her.

A sound of a foot step caught Tiffany’s attention and from the door came in a tall young man in a classy black suit. He looks masculine and serious, very typical rich guy Tiffany thought.

“Seulong, you’re home. Come here and meet your cousin Miyoung.”

“So finally, the long awaited guest has arrived!”

Tiffany looked at the smiling guy in front of her that had his hand out to her asking for a handshake. When Tiffany reached out her hand, she got caught off guard when Seulong pulled her for a tight hug.

“Welcome home cousin!” She heard him laugh as he gave her a tight bear hug.

“Are you alone? Where’s Yuri?”

“She can’t come with me right now but she’ll definitely follow later after her school term ends.”

“Great! That’s great she and Yoona are the same age so I’m sure those two are gonna hit it off high! Is your sister a prankster?”

Tiffany nods at him as an answer.

“Dang! I better warn all the workers now before Yuri arrives! So they can prepare their selves! I’m doomed if Yuri is as crazy as Yoona when it comes to playing around!”

Gone was the first impression she had earlier for this young man as she saw how playful and exaggerated he can be. And Tiffany could no longer hold the laughter she’s trying to hold because of her cousin’s playfulness.

“Glad you finally warmed up Miyoung!” Tiffany received another smile from his cousin and returned a smile back.

“Don’t worry Tiffany! I’ll only call you Miyoung when grandfather is around!”

Tiffany again smiled when her cousin stealthily whispered those words to her.

Her Aunt Sunghyo and Yoona came in with a tray of drinks and some foods and offered her to eat and relax for a moment, after Tiffany finished her drinks while occasionally conversing with everybody. Her grandfather spoke again.

“I know you’re tired from the long journey so you should rest for a while before we have our dinner. Yoona show your unnie to her room.”

“Yes, grandfather.” Yoona held her hand and started to pull her out of the grand living room.

“Wait… By the way Miyoung where’s your car? I heard from one of my men that you just hitch a free ride. Was that person living here inside the estate?” Tiffany and Yoona stopped when their grandfather called for them again.

So Tiffany explained in a short story what happened to her earlier. From the private road she entered to the stranger that helped her check her car to that stranger giving her a ride up to the entrance of the estate.

Tiffany saw how everybody inside the room tensed as she started telling. Her cousin Seulong turned serious, gone were his playfulness. Her Aunt gasps out loud.

Even Yoona’s pretty face got scrunched up with a frown. And her grandfather, well he has the scariest expression of them all.

“You took a wrong turn at the Kim’s private road?”

Seulong was the first to asked Tiffany just to make sure he heard his cousin right.

“Yes.”

“And your car Miyoung, where did you left it? And who is that stranger that brought you in the entrance?”

It was her grandfather who bombarded her with question this time.

“I… I left it in that road… Since she said I should just asked someone from here to help me pick it up tomorrow morning.”

“She?”

“Yes she, the person who helped me. She said her name is Kim Taeyeon.”

Tiffany thought she had seen the scariest expression earlier but she was wrong.

For right now her grandfather’s expression turned worst. Seulong too, seemed scary with his perfect eyebrows tightly knit with each other with the same intense anger.

“Did that Kim do anything bad to you?” Seulong harshly asked her.

“N-no she did nothing. Why would Taeyeon do something bad to me?”

Tiffany answered in freight but still she managed to let out her courage and ask that question to the two men in the room.

The two men exchange glances with each other before the oldest speak up once again.

“That’s it for now Miyoung, just go and take a rest for a while. Yoona will just call you later for dinner.”

Tiffany looked at her grandfather one last time before Yoona gently pulled her out of the room again. That moment Tiffany thought her grandfather dramatically aged much more that she first him earlier.

“Come on Unnie.” Tiffany just silently followed Yoona.

Her cousin brought her to a huge room. It was a mixture of traditional and modern design. She instantly smiled as she saw the whole interior of the room that she’ll be staying at.

‘At least not really everything in here is old. I wonder how they managed to keep the elegance of the traditional design with the addition of these modern things. I guess Yuri would definitely enjoy her vacation here later on.’ Tiffany smiled as she remembered her younger sister and imagined how she would drool over these designs and infrastructures.